Food To Get In The Mood This Valentine's Day For Anyone Cooking At Home

Friday, 14 Feb 2014, 9:15:00 AM

Barbara Bishop

Santa Monica Mirror Archives

Barbara Bishop, Columnist

It’s Valentine’s Day. To me, it’s kind of like New Year’s Eve. Every person in the city who never goes out any other time goes out to dinner.

I live in Bel Air and work in Santa Monica. Usually, it takes 35 minutes to drive to Santa Monica, and about 50 minutes to complete an eight-mile stretch.

Three years ago, on Valentine’s Day it took me three hours to get home. It sucked! I missed my Valentine’s Day dinner reservations by almost two hours.

Another time, my husband and I went to a cute, well-known place near the Ivy in Santa Monica. We made reservations a month in advance. We were regulars. Didn’t matter. It took us one hour to place our order, and they were out of almost every selection we made. Ninety minutes later, our food had not arrived. We asked when it would. The waiter forgot to place the order! We left. The place was out of business before the next Valentine’s Day came around.

After years of enduring this day, I am so done with all the hoopla of the holiday. I am too old for that s--t. I now leave Santa Monica several hours earlier than I used to, and cook a stress-free, romantic dinner (full of aphrodisiacs) at home. Here are a few of my favorite menu items that get me “in the mood.”

Starters

Champagne

Champagne is a sensuous relaxant that can take the edge off nervous tension and let sexual desires take over. Any more than two glasses at home with my husband is enough. Only one glass of the bubbly when I am out with friends is enough to keep me out of trouble!

Raw Oysters

They may not look pretty, but oysters can plump the passion. High in zinc, which increases sperm and testosterone, oysters also contain the hormone dopamine, known to increase libido. I love oysters anytime with a chilled glass of Cristal. An exotic combination of earthy softness and expensive bubbles. Divine!

Avocado

Shaped like a womb yet also born from what the Aztecs called the “testicle tree,” the avocado has long been considered an erotic fruit. I make a beautiful butter lettuce, grapefruit, and avocado salad with pine nuts and homemade raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The combination of ingredients is arousing!

Main Course

Lobster

My favorite food of all, meaty, tender, succulent – steamed lobster is a luscious dish to eat with your fingers. And eating with your fingers can be quite the turn-on. I’ve slayed many men with this technique when I was single.

Truffles

One of my all-time favorites, the musky-scented delicacy has a rep as a pheromone booster as well as a key ingredient in romantic cuisine. I shave truffles over my made-from-scratch mushroom risotto I learned to make when I was in Italy. The scent and taste is orgasmic!

Asparagus

“Asparagus,” wrote English herbalist Nicholas Culpepper in the 17th century, “stirs up lust in man and woman.” Besides its obvious phallic shape, asparagus is high in potassium, fiber, vitamins B6, A and C, thiamin and folic acid. Nutrients in asparagus also boost histamine production, necessary for the ability to reach orgasm in both sexes. Mother always told me to eat my veggies. Now I know why!

Dessert

Figs

An ancient aphrodisiac because of its appearance, an open fig is thought to look similar to female sex organs. I was introduced to figs by one of my clients, an Italian immigrant who loved them – I mean the figs. Figs also pair perfectly with another passion booster: Chocolate.

Hot Flash Universe is the go-to source for women over 40 seeking insight into the hottest, most current trends, products, and issues. Topics are approached with candor, intellect, and a healthy dose of humor.

Barbara Bishop is President of Santa Monica-based BBPR, Inc. For comments or suggestions, email Barbara.bishop@bbprinc.com.